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SEPTEMBER 2, 2022
Hello, everyone!
Near Seattle’s Chinatown International District, a homeless shelter is being built to unclog the overwhelming burden on the existing centers in the neighborhood, but the reactions are mixed.
Some business owners in the area are displeased with how authorities managed the construction, citing their exclusion from planning discussions. Previously, the community was left in the dark about the Sound Transit re-design plans that would displace five to seven businesses and take eleven years of construction.
The new shelter claims it will prevent other shelter closures, house 500 people, provide space for RVs, and include a sobering center, support and behavioral health services. But business owners like Tanya Woo are worried about public safety. She personally cites drug dealers and sex workers as reasons to have been included in the conversations regarding the shelter.
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Spotlight 💡
Yishi Foods, the first producer of Asian-inspired oatmeal based out of Chicago, was founded by Lin Jiang in 2019 - today, her products are available across almost all U.S. Whole Foods Markets locations.
Jiang took inspiration from her mother’s homemade oatmeal breakfast recipes, recreating a tasty and convenient meal full of familiar, nostalgic flavors. Ingredients like Taro Bubble Tea, Matcha Latte, Toasted Black Sesame and more are available without added sugars.
Her company has also received high praise with acknowledgements from Forbes, New York Magazine and Bon Appetit. Yishi Foods has also won industry accolades like the NEXTY award for "Best New Pantry Food" at Expo East and KeHE OnTrend awards.
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Race in America 🌎
The first Asian American Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, is facing criticism after a conversation with the Seattle Police Department was leaked.
In the recording, Mayor Harrell stated that the King County Regional Homelessness Authority was “working against” his methods of addressing homelessness, adding that nobody “has a right to sleep on a sidewalk.” When asked about those remarks, he vaguely acknowledged them, citing that he “can’t keep track of everything.” Mayor Harrell is not satisfied with current reactions and action to combat homelessness, but his attitude towards uniting the city has strayed from his campaign’s initial rhetoric.
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In Chicago, Alderperson Nicole Lee announced her bid to keep her seat as the first Chinese American woman on city council.
Lee was first appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot after previous Alderperson Patrick Daley Thompson was convicted of income tax fraud. In her bid, Lee plans to represent Chinatown, Bridgeport, and parts of McKinley Park to “to build safer and better resourced neighborhoods across our community.”
Her main policy work during her term focused on education, however, efforts to expand enrollment have been controversial as some residents were against expanding Chicago Public Schools into a land redevelopment area for mixed-income families.
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In Other Asian News 🗞
In southern Japan, the Ichoan Nursing Home welcomes “baby workers” – children all under four years old that come to liven the center and its residents.
The babies are accompanied by their guardians and parents, usually their mothers, to offer residents hugs and cute conversations. Older folks, who often feel isolated and neglected, are happy to see these toddlers, with many dropping everything to come spend time with them. For grandparents like Kyoko Nakano, 85, who don’t get to see their grandchildren often, this program is a delight: “They are just so cute, and they make the whole place brighter.”
The social interaction carries many benefits. For the families visiting, parents are given diapers, baby formula, free baby photoshoots and local grocery store coupons. (An added bonus is that intergenerational interaction has shown to enhance social and personal development for children.) For the elderly, studies have shown huge health benefits tied to social interaction including a reduced risk of disease and death, delayed mental decline, lower blood pressure and more.
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With 11 minutes left in her term, outgoing U.N. human rights commissioner Michelle Bachelet finally released the 45-page report on abuse in the Xinjiang region against Uyghur Muslims.
The report faced a lot of pushback in the governing body with China at its forefront. However, it ultimately concluded that: “The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups, pursuant to law and policy, in context of restrictions and deprivation more generally of fundamental rights enjoyed individually and collectively, may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.”
In response, Beijing published their 121-page counter-report and announced that the U.N. report was smearing China as the information detailed in the official report was “based on the disinformation and lies fabricated by anti-China forces.”
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Music and TV 📺
Kogonada, the director behind “Pachinko” and “After Yang,” is slated to direct a forthcoming limited series about the murder of Vincent Chin and the aftermath of his death in 1982.
Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao will be an executive producer on the project. Chin’s estate executor, journalist Helen Zia, is also assisting on the series.
Chin, a Chinese American, was fatally assaulted outside Detroit, Michigan by two white auto workers who thought Chin to be Japanese and blamed him for Japan’s surge and America’s decline in the automotive industry. Chin was murdered only four days before his wedding day. Both of Chin’s killers were given light fines and probation sentences. Chin was murdered only four days before his wedding day. Both of Chin’s killers were given light fines and probation sentences.
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BTS leader and rapper RM released a new collaboration single, “Sexy Nukim,” with South Korean musical collective Balming Tiger.
This is RM’s first solo endeavor after the announcement of BTS’ temporary group break. In a livestream in July, RM updated fans saying his solo album is nearly finished and will be out soon.
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What else is on our minds? 🧠
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